Problems

Fuel Contamination

Fuels and oils are transported from the refinery to the storage depots by tanker trucks, ships or pipelines. From there it is loaded into another tanker truck and delivered to your site. Every time fuels & oils are transferred from one tank to another, it not only transfers the fuel & oil but also the contaminants present that are deadly to today’s engines.

Many people assume they are buying quality fuel that meets the required specifications; diesel fuel cleanliness is rarely questioned. But higher fuel systems operating pressures, lower system tolerances and tighter filtration have pushed fuel cleanliness into the maintenance spotlight.

Water gets into fuels and oils by adsorption, condensation and human negligence. Dirt and water act as catalysts for the breakdown of fuel via oxidation and by supporting bacterial growth. Although water in fuel or lubricants is often hidden from the naked eye and its inert properties supposedly render it “harmless”, it can be extremely detrimental to most systems.

Fuels typically leave refineries clean, but contamination levels increase throughout the shipment and distribution process. Many contaminated fuel systems are a result of poor handling practices, substandard filtration and aged or inappropriate infrastructures.

A typical 10,000-gallon bulk delivery can contain more than 700 grams of dirt and other particles (the equivalent of a 700ml soda bottle, packed with dirt), and that’s before it mixes with whatever contamination that is already lurking in your tank, waiting to cause problems with your injectors.

Measuring Contamination

ISO 4406 contamination codes consist of three numbers corresponding to the number of particles of 4 microns and larger, 6 microns and larger, and 14 microns and larger present in the fluid. This table illustrates what it means to start with a contamination level of ISO 22/21/18 and target a cleanliness level of ISO 14/13/11.

Particle Sizes

Fuel Injector Clearance

The typical clearance for a high pressure common rail fuel injector is less than 5 microns, and some injectors feature a clearance of less than 2 microns, so even the tiniest particles can cause problems. With tight tolerances and high rates of pressure, even microscopic particles in diesel will ruin your injectors and cost you thousands of dollars in downtime and replacement parts.

Size of Familiar Particles

Grain of table salt

100 µm

Human hair

80 µm

White blood cell

25 µm

Talcum powder

10 µm

Red blood cell

8 µm

Silt

Bacteria

2 µm

RANGE OF PARTICLES PER 100 MILLILITERS

ISO cleanliness level

Code

More than

Up to including

24

8,000,000

16,000,000

23

4,000,000

8,000,000

ISO 22 / 21 /18 - 4 μm+

22

2,000,000

4,000,000

ISO 22 / 21 /18 - 6 μm+

21

1,000,000

2,000,000

20

500,000

1,000,000

19

250,000

500,000

ISO 22 / 21 /18 - 14 μm+

18

130,000

250,000

17

64,000

130,000

16

32,000

64,000

15

16,000

32,000

ISO 14 / 13 /11 - 4 μm+

14

8,000

16,000

ISO 14 / 13 /11 - 6 μm+

13

4,000

8,000

12

2,000

4,000

ISO 14 / 13 /11 - 14 μm+

11

1,000

2,000

10

500

1,000

9

250

500

8

130

250

7

64

130

6

32

64

5

16

32

4

8

16

3

4

8

2

2

4

1

1

2

Modern Engines Demand Clean Fuel

Progressive introduction of increasingly stringent emission standards have resulted in sophisticated diesel engines that require cleaner fuel than ever before to operate efficiently, due to injection pressures of more than 30,000 PSI and extremely tight tolerances. In engines where precision is everything, you can’t risk the damage done by high-velocity microscopic contaminants. At 30,000 PSI (2000 BAR), every unfiltered particle acts almost like a tiny sandblaster, eroding the injector, creating inefficient spray- patterns and potentially over-fueling the engine. A fouled injector doesn’t spray fuel efficiently and may lead to improper idle, irregular fuel distribution, unsuitable exhaust emissions and poor fuel economy.

Onboard Filtration isn’t enough

Onboard filters are designed to provide final filtration for moderately clean fuel. Engine filtration is not intended to clean fuel contaminated with large amounts of dirt and water. If contaminated fuel is used, the capability of the onboard filtration is overwhelmed and injectors either wear out prematurely or seize. This means more maintenance and more downtime. This means more maintenance, more downtime and more money out of your pocket.

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